What if you lived to be 100 years old?

What
are the skills and attitudes you need to leave school with that will prepare
you for a life in a world where technology is changing at a massive rate?

It
is estimated that the advances in technology over the next 10 years will be
greater than those from the last 100 years. How will it be in 100 years’ time, and how can you futureproof yourself
to be successful?

Researchers
have done the sums and the reality is that one in three of today’s school age
children – that’s most of you - will reach 100 years of age.

That
means many of you will potentially be working in the 22nd
century. 100 years ago we invented the
telephone. Back then they were very
different. It was only 10 years ago that
internet capable phones reached the consumer market. Today there are over 11 Billion devices
connected to internet – 7 billion of which are mobile. Things are constantly advancing.

The
world’s current population is around 7.4 billion people and growing every year.

So
to be successful, and competitive with billions of people, you will need to
develop a very specific set of skills and attitudes. Today’s graduates have displayed they have
these skills and the potential to be change-making, problem solving, confident,
connected life-long learners. To succeed
at the level they have succeeded they have shown focus, perception,
stickability, expert self-directed learner skills, passion, commitment and
embraced a genuinely willingness to push their boundaries and inspire
others.

Make good decisions. Learn from the bad ones. Take opportunities.

15
years ago Yahoo had the opportunity to buy Google. They thought it wouldn’t go anywhere – now
Google is the most sought after company in the world to work for, and is valued
at around 550 billion and increasing their value, while Yahoo is valued at
around 50 billion, and decreasing.

20
years ago a staff member of a world-leading company that had a monopoly on its
corner of the market suggested producing a camera without film. He was laughed out of the company. That company was Kodak – the world’s largest
buyer of silver and the world’s biggest biggest film maker – they are now
bankrupt. Some of you may never have
seen print film.

Less
than a month ago, at Old Trafford football Stadium in England, there was an
embarrassing and very costly event. The
stadium, home of the mighty Manchester United football club was packed with
75,000 fans waiting for the start of the last game of the premier league season. People had travelled from across the UK and internationally
to attend this game. Players were on the turf, waiting to start the
game. Excitement was building and the
singing and chanting was reaching its pre-game peak. Terror suddenly filled the stadium as word of
a bomb threat spread. A code red at the stadium was sounded. Everybody in the stadium was evacuated
immediately and the game cancelled.

Police
found the bomb. Only the bomb turned out
to be a dummy bomb, a practice bomb, which had been left in the stadium by
accident during a recent security training exercise.

75,000
live fans, plus millions of TV watchers worldwide, were thoroughly disappointed
and left out of pocket.

Did
the people who were running the drill work as a team to cross check what each
other was doing?

Did they use
communication skills and a little maths to count their practice bombs in and
out?

Did they run a lean process where
they checked off what they did the day before and what was happening that
day? Did they use their inquiring
minds? If they couldn’t find a practice
bomb that they had planted during a drill – how on earth would they find a real
bomb?

Did they even think?

Whatever
you do for your job, whether you are planting practice bombs or selling
cabbages, wheelchairs, ice with fruity bits in it or organic, ethically sourced
coffee – have an eye for detail, don’t be sloppy and work with others to share
responsibility and success.

You’ve got to make an effort to succeed. These graduating students have.

We’re
looking at the culmination of over 13 years of learning for those graduating
today. For those young ones out there
listening – this will sound like a long time – like 100 years. For those graduating – I bet you think that
went quickly and are asking yourselves, where did the time go? That’s probably
how you’ll feel at 100.

Recently
I was fortunate enough to attend the southern hemisphere’s biggest education
conference. I listened and talked to
many wonderful people doing great things in education. I saw amazing technological devices but left
with only one. One which I was most
surprised with.

Back
in 1662 a rather sensible, forward-thinking German inventor decided to wrap a
stick of graphite in a thin wooden casing and mass produce it. He did rather well out of the product on the
commercial market. It developed into a
highly effective world-changing machine that can even write in space – and it’s
called the pencil. We still use
them. You can erase mistakes easily and
they’re good for the environment. And the future. I bet that those of you who
live to 100, which will be at least 700 of the current audience, will still be
using these pencil inventions and scribbling on a piece of paper saying
“remember at school we used to have those clunky old Thinkpad laptops … and
cars that ran on stinky expensive petrol stuff …”

You
don’t need to be old to have great ideas and be successful. You are actually
most creative when you are young. At the
age of 14, Philo Farnsworth invented the television screen. Frank Epperson was 11 when he invented the
popsicle. Blaise Pascal invented the
mechanical calculator when he was 19. At
18 Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. At 15 Louis Braille invented Braille.

So
set your goals high – reach and surpass them and start sooner rather than later. Follow in the footsteps of these fine
graduants – then look at stretching their achievement to even greater
heights. Build great reputations and
establish trust and integrity.

In
a year of the Olympic games it’s fitting to make the analogy of you as academic
athletes competing in the annual national assessment games – the tracking to
date shows your academic performance is going well. Olympic athletes would train for around 13
years before reaching a world class level – so those leaving school – go out
there, listen to your coaches and break those records. Be proud and push on regardless of season,
weather or obstacles. Have that bullet
and bomb-proof growth mind-set and laser-like precision focus on being the best
you can.

Graduating
with top results comes as a result of hard work, dedication, passion, and great
goal setting.

So
develop a strong motivation and know that you’re part of a family of learners –
a family of learners that places a huge emphasis on the value of thinking and
education.

If
you haven’t already, you should seek to develop a culture of constant
improvement and have that can-do, will-do, no-blame attitude. And while you’re there eat sensibly and
exercise regularly and do lots of good stuff.

Be
proud, be confident. Inquire. Ask questions and listen properly and
patiently. Push boundaries and challenge
yourself every day to be better than the previous day and build that air of
respectful success.

Read. After all, in the immortal words of Dr Seuss
- “The more that you read, the more
things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

Each
and every one of us has great opportunities and the ability to shine as
yourself. Let today’s graduating
students set our compasses and direction to aim for success. They have Learned to Learn.

May
the Westmount force be with you and remember your magic weavers who motivated,
guided, inspired you when you need to dig deep.

When
you are 100 years old you’ll look back on this day fondly as a very special day
– the day you celebrated with your teachers, friends family and community. I
know campuses are planning some very, very special events after this VC. These campus concerts are a massive learning
adventure in themselves – planning, practicsing, teamwork, patience, deadlines,
people back stage, audio, visual and technical – so many people working
together to make great things happen – these are real life opportunities to
learn such valuable skills which employers are looking for so well done to each
and every one of you has worked hard and taken the time to make today happen.

A
special thank you to Mr Brett Sloan, the Admin team at National Office and the
Campus Principals, CSCs and great staff at campuses who work their magic to support
making these things happen.

An
extra special congratulations to our top scholars who are recognised nationally
today – well done.

The
very best wishes to all graduates and we look forward to watching and hearing
of your future achievements.